Page 41 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings (Love X Magic #3)

“We don’t know what we were thinking! Truly, we never want to see harm come to you,” Odel chimed in, the heel of her palm pressed into her chest, as if her heart were splitting and she was staunching the bleeding.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen spirits seek forgiveness for the actions they took after spending too much time roaming Midgard.

Staying on Midgard without a body was unnatural.

It ate at your soul, and the more time one spent in a place they didn’t belong, the more that place teared at you.

It wasn’t my place to forgive them, but I hoped, for Kari’s sake, she saw their words as pure. I knew how much their actions ate at her, despite pretending she was fine.

“What did you girls do?” Sigrid asked.

Kari ignored her mother as she said, “I hold no grudge over what happened. Well, not anymore at least. Rune told me what happens to a soul who spends too much time separated from their body. By the end of those few months, none of you were acting like yourselves. To be honest, I’d been happy when you finally all moved on.

Lingering in a home that is no longer yours is no way to spend your afterlife.

You all deserved more, and I deserved to try to move on.

I’m more than happy to wipe that morning from my mind if you are. ”

“What did you girls do?” Sigrid asked again, more aggressive this time. Odel and Malfrid ran over to Kari and threw themselves onto her lap, and I slid to the side to avoid the flailing limbs. But then Odel turned to me and threw her arms over my shoulders, giving me a big kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you! Thank you for bringing our sister back to us.” She let me go and wiped at the tears that streamed down her face with an embarrassed grin.

I cleared my throat and shifted on the furs beneath me.

I was used to taking people away from their family members and the tears that caused.

Every once in a while, I would see relatives or loved ones reuniting in the halls of Valhalla, but this was different entirely.

“Uh, you’re welcome,” I forced out, because what else was there to say?

I’d be taking Kari back to Asgard again soon enough, and they would have to say goodbye all over again.

At least this time, they got their closure.

“I swear to the gods, if one of you doesn’t answer your mother right now, I’m going to lose it,” Kettle growled.

Odel and Malfrid’s faces paled, and I knew this conversation was about to get really awkward.

I debated sneaking away, telling them all I had important valkyrie matters to attend to elsewhere, but Kari would know otherwise.

I didn’t want to abandon her for the sake of my own comfort, so as Kari’s sisters uncomfortably began explaining what they had done, I remained next to her, a constant, unwavering presence.

“YOU WHAT?” Kettle bellowed, shaking the stone walls around him with the sheer might of his roar.

Even though Kari wasn’t the one receiving the brunt of his anger, she still winced.

My hand found its way to her lap under the furs, and I pressed my palm into her thigh for comfort.

I caught Haddy staring at me as their father yelled, and the two of us shared a silent conversation of our own.

Malfrid and Odel began to sob, their story lost in their blubbering. I couldn’t tell who was saying what, but I could make out a string of coherent words, such as, “She wouldn’t have done it herself!” and “We didn’t want to leave her behind!”

Sigrid looked as if she didn’t know which of her children she should comfort, if any.

On one hand, two of them tried to murder her remaining daughter.

On the other hand, if they had succeeded, the entire family would’ve been able to travel to their afterlife together.

I tried not to hold any anger for Kari’s younger sisters, because I too would do just about anything to keep those I loved by my side.

If Kari chose to forgive them eventually, that would be her decision to make, and I’d respect it.

It took about an hour, but eventually, things settled, faces lost their redness, and voices lowered.

The conversation was lost to funny moments they’d experienced in Helheim, including a moment when Haddy was off collecting flowers when she caught Garm, of all creatures, doing the same.

Apparently, he had a mate out there somewhere and didn’t spend his entire existence guarding the gates of Hel with a snarl on his dripping lips.

By the time Kari and I made it back to our chamber, our bellies were full, and Kari’s heart was as well.

“Thank you,” she whispered as her eyes grew heavy with fatigue.

I never got the chance to ask what exactly she was thankful for, because the seeress drifted off to sleep propped up against the pillows, her head resting crookedly on her hand.

I chuckled to myself and didn’t think twice as I pulled the quilt from under her and adjusted her head on the pillows so she didn’t wake with a kink in her neck.

She didn’t wake as I laid the quilt down upon her, but she mumbled something inaudible and turned on her side, the sheets gripped in one of her hands.

The skin under her nails was already a smoking charcoal from the spells she’d performed this morning, and I was left wondering what toll Hel’s power was going to have on my little mortal one lunar cycle from now.

Whatever happened, I wouldn’t let the seidr of the underworld hold her.

Stained fingers were one thing, but the blackening of her heart was another.

If she wasn’t careful, Hel’s power could consume her, and I would do anything to prevent that day from coming.

Anything.